“Initially, the EPC energy rating for the houses was predicted to be a low C, but the development attained a high-end B rating, achieving 89 or 90 points out of 100 and I believe the stone walling contributed to this excellent result in terms of cost benefits and performance.

“If solar panels had been included in the design, then we may have attained a score of 100% - something normally only achieved by ECO buildings. On a practical front, the bricklayers reported that the Ibstock product was far easier to lay then natural stone.”

Gavin Hoe, Sales Director from Ibstock, commented: “The beauty of this Ibstock product is that it not only reflects the texture and visual appearance of natural stone, but it also provides homeowners with an exterior that is robust and will require very little ongoing maintenance.”